In yet another mishap involving migrants, 24 labourers were killed and at least 15 injured when the truck they were travelling in collided with another at around 3 am on Saturday in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya district.
The migrant workers were on their way to their native places in different states amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
According to the police, the incident happened in Mihauli area between 3.00 am and 3.30 am when a trailer truck coming from Rajasthan, carrying around 50 labourers, collided with a DCM van which was coming from Delhi.
Most of the migrant labourers belonged to Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, Abhishek Singh, Auraiya’s district magistrate, was quoted as saying by ANI.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took note of the unfortunate incident in Auraiya and expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the labourers who lost their lives.
The Chief Minister also directed that all the injured be provided medical care immediately and the Commissioner and IG Kanpur to visit the site and give the report on the cause of the accident immediately.
In a tweet, Yogi Adityanath said, “The death of migrant workers in a road accident in Auraiya district is unfortunate and sad, my condolences to the bereaved families of the dead”.
“Instructions have also been given to provide all possible relief to the victims, to provide proper treatment to the injured and to promptly investigate the accident,” Adityanath added.
Yogi Adityanath has also announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the families of the migrant workers who were killed in the accident and Rs 50,000 to those who suffered from major injures.
Those who have sustained serious injuries have been taken to PGI Saifai for treatment, while others have been admitted to a hospital in Auraiya.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also took to Twitter to express grief over the tragic incident.
“Indescribable grief over the death of more than 24 poor migrant workers in a road accident in Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh. Prayers for the injured,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
BSP chief Mayawati reminded that CM Yogi Adityanath had said that officers would make arrangements for the food, transit and shelter to labourers who come to UP or pass through state. “It is unfortunate that CM’s directions are not being taken seriously by officers because of which a big accident occurred in Auraiya,” she added.
Mayawati further called for action against the officers who didn’t fulfill their responsibilities and demanded financial assistance to the kin of the dead. She also expressed her condolences to the bereaved families.
On May 14, as many as eight migrant workers were killed and nearly 50 others injured when the bus in which they were travelling collided with a truck near Guna town in Madhya Pradesh.
The accident took place between 3 am and 4 am when the victims were on their way to Uttar Pradesh border from Maharashtra.
Hours before the incident, six migrants were killed and two injured after allegedly being run over by a state transport bus while they were walking towards Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. The victims were migrant workers from Bihar and were walking home.
On May 12, four migrants died in separate accidents in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
On May 9, at least six migrant labourers were killed and 14 others injured when a truck in which they were travelling overturned in Madhya Pradesh’s Narsinghpur district.
On May 8, 16 migrants, who were sleeping on the railway tracks while returning to their native places in Madhya Pradesh amid the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, were crushed to death after they were run over by a goods train between Maharashtra’s Jalna and Aurangabad.
Meanwhile, in the wake of rise in road accidents, the Supreme Court on Friday said it was “impossible” for anyone to stop migrant workers from walking back to their homes and refused to direct the Central government to give them shelter or free transportation.
“How can anyone stop this when they sleep on railway tracks? How do you stop people who want to keep walking? Can anyone go and stop them? Impossible for anyone to stop them,” the court asked.
The petition filed by lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava urged that the court ask the centre to identify migrants walking on the roads and provide them food and shelter.
“Let the state decide. Why should the court hear or decide?” the Supreme Court said sternly.
“There are people walking and not stopping. How can we stop it?” the judges further asked.
When the top court sought the Centre’s view on it, SG Tushar Mehta said that “arrangements are being made but some don’t want to wait and start walking on foot.” “Migrants must have patience to wait for their turn.”
Amid the nationwide lockdown, thousands of daily wagers and other migrants have undertaken epic journeys to reach home — walking, cycling and hitching rides when they could — in the absence of any public transport.
The nationwide lockdown, which began on March 25, was first extended till April 14, then till May 3 and finally till May 17 with a few relaxations built in. The unprecedented move to stem the spread of COVID-19 triggered possibly the biggest movement of people since Partition.